Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
A meeting held in Havre by the state Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Wednesday, brought some sharp comments. Particularly about a tentative rule that would limit the number of permits issued to hunt elk in the Upper Missouri River Breaks with a bow, and limit the number of antelope archery permits. FWP held the meeting to collect public comments about proposed changes in hunting regulations for 2008-09. Another major topic of discussion was a tentative proposal to set the start of season by date instead of by the day of the week. (See related story on page A2.) Harold Wentland, FWP wildlife program manager for the department’s Region 6 in north-central Montana, told the more-than 50 people attending the meeting that the proposals limiting elk archery permits would be basically preventative measures. He said people are concerned that the current access to archery elk-hunting and antelope-hunting, especially for out-of-state hunters, will lead to landowners shutting down their land to public hunting, instead leasing it to private hunters and outfitters. “There’s a feeling land is being leased up,” Wentland said. “We’ve heard it from quite a few people.” The FWP representatives stressed the importance of written comments, which makes it nearly impossible for the department’s commission to misunderstand the point. Written comments, which were collected at the meeting, can also be submitted by mail or e-mail. The department’s commission will make its executive decision on all of the two-year regulations at its Feb. 20 meeting in Helena. After hearing a comment from the audience that the regulation seems to be to regulate to who can hunt, instead of regulating wildlife management, Wentland said his first priority is wildlife management. His second priority is regulating hunting for Montana residents in the region, he said. “Helping special interests is third. That's my responsibility,” Wentland said, to applause from parts of the audience. The proposal for the elk limit is to implement a drawing for elk archery permits in areas where the number of rifle permits is limited. Elk archery permits are now unlimited to residents. The tentative proposal would limit the number of elk archery permits in the Breaks to 75 percent of the average number issued in the 2005-2007 seasons, with a cap of 10 percent of the total available put on the number issued to out-of-state hunters. In other regions, the limit would be 90 percent of the estimated number of bowhunters in the region, also with a 10 percent cap for out-of-state licenses. The change would also implement a four-year waiting period for people who draw a permit before they could apply again in regions where the odds of drawing a permit is 10 percent or less, including the Breaks. Local outfitter Eric Olson said the actual number of out-of-state people Brought by outfitters to hunt antelope in Montana with bows is comparatively small, from 438 to 578 a year between 2002 and 2005. “That’s an insignificant number,” Olson said in an interview. The goal does not seem to be reducing the number of the hunters in the Breaks, Olson said, the goal seems to be eliminating nonresident hunters. Wentland said that regardless of the reason he stated that the reason in most cases is not specific to unlimited antelope access and so on hunters in Montana FWP regions are losing access to public lands. Region 7 in the Bozeman area has lost 265,000 acres, he said, and Region 6 has lost about 50,000 acres in the Bear Paw Mountains. Chris Faber warned the group that cutting the amount of hunters outfitters can bring from out of state could cut the opportunity for resident hunters as well. Faber said the fees and payments by outfitters and out-of-state hunters provide most of the funding for Fish, Wildlife & Parks and for the block management hunting access program. Eliminating access for those hunters would eliminate the funding, he said. “It’s just the facts,” Faber said. He also said that most of the land in the state doesn’t belong to the state: only about 5 percent is stateowned, with about 25 percent federally owned and belongs to all Americans. The remaining 70 percent is privately owned, he said. “That’s the way it is,” he said. Greg Hester of Havre said he thinks that if the rule limits funding to FWP and block management, there would be other ways to fund the program while improving hunting in areas like the Breaks. “I do thing there are other ways to fund block management, and I’m willing to chip in,” Hester said. Nick Siebrasse, a member of FWP’s Citizen Advisory Council, said there is a growing concern among Montanans that something, like limiting the permits, is needed to preserve Montana’s hunting tradition. There seems to be a sector of the population trying to use big game as a commodity rather than a blessing for all, he said. “There is a growing sense of urgency to preserve and protect our hunting heritage,” Siebrasse said. Kevin Koss, who ranches in the Breaks near Malta, said he doesn’t have any problem with nonresidents hunting on his land. He added that he usually has more problems with Montana hunters from out of the area. He said people might consider that if the number of out-of-state hunters is limited, it could lead to higher rates charged for guiding the nonresident hunters. That could lead to more land being leased, Koss said. Todd Alisch, president of the Bear Paw Bowmen, said he and his organization both support the limit on elk and antelope permits. Greg Durward of Havre said he agrees with the proposal to limit the archery permits in the Breaks. “I don’t think it’s going to solve all the problems, but I think it’s going to help,” Durward said. All comments on the proposed regulations must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 1, FWP information officer Andrew McKean said. The commission will receive all public comment received by that time before it makes it decisions. Comments can be mailed to: Big Game Regulations, Wildlife Division, Montana FWP, P.O. Box 200701, Helena MT 59620-0701; or e-mailed to: fwpwld@mt.gov. On the Net: FWP Tentative 2008-08 regulations: http://fwp.mt.gov; “Hunting,” “Regulations”
